Paradise Road Movie Review 1997

Fleeing Singapore during WWII, a group of British, American, and Australian women straggle to the shore of Sumatra after their ship is bombed, where they're taken prisoner by the Japanese. Headed by Close, the prisoners form a vocal ensemble that crosses their collective national differences and attempts to lift the spirits of the brutalized women. Familiar ground is trod in this prisoner-of-war saga, but the music is genuinely moving, and excellent performances from the cast help sustain interest. The symphonic choral pieces were taken from actual sheet music used by a similar group of real-life WWII prisoners.

Distribution

CBS/Fox Video, 1330 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, Phone: (212)373-4800, Toll-free: 800-800-4369, Fax: (212)373-4803, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 115 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Pacific Islands, POW/MIA, Tearjerkers, Concentration/Internment Camps, Women in Prison, World War II, Women in War, Missionaries

Screenplay

Bruce Beresford, David Giles, Martin Meader

Cast

Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Julianna Margulies, Pauline Collins, Jennifer Ehle, Elizabeth Spriggs, Tessa Humphries, Sab Shimono, Cate Blanchett, Wendy Hughes, Johanna Ter Steege, Pamela Rabe, Clyde Kusatsu, Stan(ford) Egi, Susie Porter, Lisa Hensley, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Pauline Chan

Cinematography

Peter James

Director

Bruce Beresford

Music

Margareth Dryburgh, Ross Edwards

Producer

Sue Milliken, Greg Coote, Graham Burke, Village Roadshow Pictures, Fox Searchlight